Fatal Flirtation: A Cruise Ship Mystery (Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Book 13)

by Hope Callaghan

“I’m sorry,” Danielle apologized. “Unfortunately, it was a gut reaction. I should’ve walked away.”

  “Not necessarily. Don’t worry, Danielle. We’ll get to the bottom of it,” Patterson promised. “It might not be right away. I still have to finish up the investigation and paperwork for Micah Reyes’ unexplained death.”

  Millie’s heart skipped a beat. “I heard about Micah’s death. Do you know what happened?”

  “We’re still in the preliminary stage of the investigation, Millie. You know I can’t discuss it.”

  “I heard Sharky Kiveski, the maintenance supervisor, found Micah on the hall floor not far from the medical center.”

  “Again, I can’t comment on the investigation.” He frowned. “Nothing happens on this ship that doesn’t spread like wildfire.”

  “Do you have the troublesome reunion group under control?” Millie changed the subject.

  “Not if the woman Danielle tangled with is part of the Turner party. I’m trying to figure that out right now. The group is causing chaos all over the ship. At least half of the complaints we’re receiving at the guest services desk is from someone who had a run in with a member of the Turner family.”

  “Maybe you should quarantine them to an area of the ship,” Millie joked.

  “Give them a deck of their own and let them tear each other apart,” Danielle chimed in. “Or better yet, start lining them up to walk the plank.”

  “It’s all happening so fast, I can’t keep track of who did what and now with this storm and the ship’s itinerary change, we’re stuck with them.” Patterson rubbed his brow. “Before I can deal with that, first things first. I need to figure out what happened to Micah.”

  Patterson stood, his signal the meeting was over. He wagged his finger at Millie. “I see the look in your eyes Millie. I would think you have enough to keep you busy. If someone in the Turner party is involved in Micah’s death, we have some bad people on board, some dangerous people. I don’t need another member of the ship’s crew getting hurt.”

  “Did I say I was going to stick my nose into Micah’s death?” Millie’s eyes widened innocently.

  “You didn’t have to.”

  Patterson promised Danielle he would let her know the outcome of his investigation involving the female passenger and the women exited Patterson’s office.

  Millie waited until the door was closed. “Patterson thinks someone in the Turner party may have been involved in Micah’s death.”

  “It sounded that way to me,” Danielle said. “I wonder how much Sharky knows about the incident.”

  It had been some time since Millie had visited Sharky, when he helped her solve the mystery of the High Seas Art Gallery’s missing artwork.

  “He was the one who found Micah.” Millie glanced at her watch. “I’ve got a coupla extra minutes, enough time to make a quick trip to the maintenance department to ask him a few questions.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Danielle said.

  The women walked to the end of the hall to the employee area of the ship. They descended the stairs, making their way to deck zero and the maintenance corridor.

  The corridor, normally a beehive of activity, was strangely quiet. They passed one of the ship’s maintenance crew as they made their way along the corridor to the maintenance office.

  The door was ajar. Millie gave it a quick tap before easing it open and sticking her head around the corner. She found Sharky sitting at his desk, his feet propped on the edge and an unlit cigar dangling from his lips.

  He glanced up from the clipboard and then did a double take. “Millie.” Sharky pulled the cigar from his mouth. He looked from Millie to Danielle and his face fell. “Where’s your buddy, Annette?”

  “She’s working,” Millie said. “I heard she’s been playing hard to get.”

  Sharky kicked his feet off the desk. “Yeah, I figured I would give her a little breathing room before I proceed with Plan B to romance that hot mama.”

  “Really?” Millie lifted a brow. “I can’t wait to hear how you plan to sweep Annette off her feet.”

  “I’d rather not share my strategy. Let’s just say my plan is almost foolproof.” Sharky changed the subject. “I would ask you to what do I owe this honor of being graced by your presence, but I think I already know.”

  “We’re here to ask you about Micah Reyes. We heard you were the one who found him in the hall, not far from the medical center.”

  “Yeah.” Sharky waved a bandaged hand Millie hadn’t noticed before. “Have a seat.”

  He waited until Danielle and Millie were seated. “I was working on my scooter, welding some custom lights to the bottom. The jack stand cut loose. It knocked my welder over and I burned my hand.” He held up the bandaged hand. “Good thing I’m not left-handed.”

  “Because Donovan would assign you to light duty?” Danielle asked.

  “No. I can’t control my wig wag if I can’t use my fingers.”

  “It sounds like a personal problem,” Millie joked.

  “You’re a barrel of laughs,” Sharky grunted. “No. A wig wag is a lever.”

  “You’re getting a little too technical,” Millie said. “I’m sorry to hear you were injured and hope you’re feeling better soon. So when did you find Micah?”

  “After I burned my hand, I tried to wrap it myself, but it hurt like the dickens, so I decided I better head to medical to have it checked out. I started down the hall and was maybe about twenty feet away from the medical center when I noticed someone wearing a uniform lying in the hall.”

  Sharky told the women he realized it was one of the security crew. “I didn’t recognize the guy right away.”

  Millie interrupted. “You didn’t see his nametag?”

  “Well, that’s what’s weird. He wasn’t wearing his nametag.”

  “That is weird,” Millie mused. She knew Donovan and all of the ship’s management were strict about the crew wearing clean uniforms and always having their nametags displayed.

  “Right.” Sharky continued. “I could tell right away something was wrong. He was breathing kinda funny, so I ran into the medical clinic to get help. Luckily, Rachel Quaid, nurse busybody, was in the back. I told her what was going on, so she ran out into the hall and did a quick check of his vitals. She radioed Doctor Gundervan and he showed up a coupla minutes later.”

  “Was there blood?” Danielle asked.

  “Nope. Not that I could see. Course once the doc and nurse were on scene, they kept me away from him. I knew it was serious when Gundervan radioed the bridge and told the captain one of the crew needed emergency medical treatment and they needed to get him off the ship.”

  “Did you stick around to see what happened?”

  “I had to get back to work.” Sharky shook his head. “I’m sorry to hear he didn’t make it. At first, I thought maybe he fell or had some sort of medical emergency.”

  “You don’t think it could be one of those?” Danielle asked.

  “Nope.” Sharky lowered his voice. “After I ran over and began checking him out, I noticed his lips were moving, so I leaned in to try to hear.”

  Millie’s heart skipped a beat. “Do you have any idea what he was trying to say?”

  “Yep.” Sharky nodded. “He was trying to tell me something. That’s why I suspect foul play.”

  Chapter 8

  “Well?” Millie scooched forward in her chair. “What did he say?”

  “Millie, Millie, Millie.” Sharky jabbed his cigar in her direction. “How long have you and I been working together, cracking cases?”

  “I…don’t know. Admittedly, you’ve helped me out a couple of times now.”

  “Right, so you know the drill. You scratch my back. I’ll scratch yours.”

  “Oh brother,” Millie groaned. “What do you want?”

  “Let me think about it for a minute.” Sharky tapped his finger on his lower lip. “It’s gotta be good since this is a juicy tidbit of information.”

>   He shifted in his chair. “I’ve had a hankerin’ for something sweet lately.”

  “Annette has perfected a recipe for the most delicious cinnamon rolls,” Millie offered.

  “Cinnamon rolls.” Sharky lifted a brow. “I think I would like a batch and not those puny little bite size rolls. I want cinnamon rolls that take two hands to eat.”

  “But you’re wounded,” Danielle smirked. “You only have one free hand.”

  Sharky ignored Danielle’s comment. “The cinnamon rolls need to be fresh, none of that frozen crap. I want enough to last a few days and, last but not least…”

  Sharky paused dramatically. “I want Annette to deliver them to me wearing a bathrobe with a silky, sexy negligee underneath.”

  “Th-that is not going to happen,” Millie sputtered. “I mean, I’ll need to convince Annette to make the rolls, and I hope she will if I ask nicely. There is no way she’s going to bring them down here wearing sexy lingerie. It ain’t gonna happen.”

  “If I forget about the lingerie, do you think you can at least talk her into delivering them in person?” The look on Sharky’s face was so full of hope; Millie didn’t know what else to say. “I’ll try, but I can’t promise you.”

  “That’s all I can ask,” Sharky said. “I’ll take your word Annette will deliver the goods.”

  “So what did Micah say to you?” Danielle prompted.

  “Well, like I said, I was leaning in real close when I saw his lips moving, although his eyes were shut. The first time, the only thing I heard was ‘get away,’ so I asked him to repeat it and then I listened real close.”

  Sharky cleared his throat.

  “What?” Millie pounded her fist on the desk in frustration. “What did he say?”

  “I coulda swore he said, ‘Don’t let ‘em get away with it.’”

  “Don’t let ‘em get away with it,” Danielle repeated. “So you think he meant don’t let whoever attacked me get away with it?”

  “That’s my thinking.” Sharky nodded. “What else would he be talking about?”

  “Is that all?” Millie asked.

  “What do you mean is that all? Isn’t that enough? Someone attacked Micah and murdered him. Sheesh.” Sharky shook his head in disgust. “Next you’re gonna ask if I noticed a murder weapon.”

  “Did you?” Millie asked.

  “Nope.” Sharky changed the subject. “Now back to my cinnamon rolls. They gotta be fresh from the oven, piping hot and personally delivered by my love.”

  Danielle chuckled. “Oh boy.”

  “What? You ever been in love before?” Sharky frowned at Danielle.

  “In love with food or in love with Annette?” Millie teased.

  “Eh, probably both,” Sharky shrugged. “I know Annette starts her shift at five-thirty in the morning. I figure I’ll need to give her at least an hour to whip up the goods, so maybe we could plan on her being here around six forty-five?”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” Millie wiggled out of the chair. “Why don’t we tentatively plan on six forty-five tomorrow? If things change, I’ll let you know.”

  “Sounds good.” Sharky sprang from his chair and hurried to the door. “It’s always a pleasure doing business with you, Millie.”

  “What happens if I can’t convince Annette to make the cinnamon rolls or bring them down here?” Millie asked.

  “Then I’ll have to re-think our business arrangement. I need to trust my associates like I am right now. You got the information, now you need to deliver on the goods.” Sharky held the door open. “But I have faith in you, Millie. After all, what employee would refuse a request from the captain’s wife?”

  “Annette doesn’t suck up to anyone,” Danielle said bluntly. “However, Millie and Annette are close friends, which gives you a better shot of getting what you want.”

  The women stepped into the hall and Millie thanked Sharky again before he closed the door behind them.

  “So what do you think?” Danielle asked.

  “Someone struck Micah, he managed to make it to within a few feet of the medical center and then collapsed, which is where Sharky found him.”

  When they reached the end of the corridor, the women paused.

  “I need to get back to work,” Danielle said. “It’s time for my favorite activity, the behind the scenes ship tour.”

  “I have a few minutes before I need to head upstairs to host the Mix and Mingles singles event,” Millie said. “Which leaves me just enough time to swing by the galley to try to sweet talk Annette into helping me out.”

  *****

  Millie knew timing was everything and she needed to wait until the perfect moment to ask Annette to whip up a special batch of her cinnamon rolls. If the galley was slammed with meals, teatime or preparing food for a special event, she didn’t dare bother her friend.

  Luckily, it was in between the main meal hours and although the galley was humming with activity, it wasn’t a madhouse with employees scrambling in all directions.

  Millie tiptoed through the side door and spotted Amit up to his elbows in mixing bowls. She crept up behind him and glanced over his shoulder at the doughy mixture.

  He glanced up when she cleared her throat, and a bright smile lit up his face when he saw her. “Miss Millie. How are you?”

  “Better than I deserve.” Millie nodded toward the mixing bowl. “What are you making?”

  “I’m making a batch of Annette’s special flatbread crackers.” Amit patted his stomach. “They help with nausea. We are going to have some wavy seas ahead. She want to be ready for passengers who are sick.”

  “Ah, I see.” Millie peered into the bowl. “I’ve never made flatbread crackers. What’s in them?”

  Amit rattled off the list of ingredients. “Flour, salt, a small amount of sugar, oil and rosemary. Are you looking for Miss Annette?”

  “Yes. Is she around?”

  “She’s meeting with the new line cook on the other side of the galley. She should be done any time.”

  “My ears were ringing,” Annette zigzagged past several of the prep stations and made her way over. “How are my crackers coming along?”

  “Good. I think I have them just right.”

  Annette turned her attention to her friend. “I heard one of the security guards was found injured near the medical center.”

  “Dead,” Millie said. “His name was Micah Reyes.”

  “He’s dead?”

  “Yeah. They transported him off the ship and he died on the way to the hospital.”

  “No kidding.” Annette thrust her hand on her hip. “I also heard it wasn’t natural or accidental, that he suffered head trauma.”

  “Sharky found him lying in the hall not far from the medical center.” Millie glanced around and lowered her voice. “Micah said something before he died.”

  “What?”

  “He said, ‘Don’t let ‘em get away with it.’ Those were his exact words, which leads me to believe it wasn’t an accident or a medical event.”

  “So he was attacked,” Annette said. “I’m surprised Sharky told you all of that without trying to cut a deal.”

  “That’s why I’m here.” Millie shifted uncomfortably.

  “You promised him something.”

  “Yeah, and it involves you.” Millie hurried on. “He asked for a batch of cinnamon rolls, nice thick fluffy cinnamon rolls, served hot and fresh…tomorrow morning.” She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for Annette to refuse.

  When she opened her eyes, her friend was staring at her. “There’s more. I can tell by the look on your face there’s something else. What is it?”

  “He asked if you would deliver them in person tomorrow morning,” Millie blurted out. “I didn’t promise him anything. I told him I would ask.”

  “Ugh,” Annette wrinkled her nose. “That man is driving me crazy.”

  “I think he’s in love with you.”

  Amit snickered. Annette shot him a death look and he quickly lo
wered his head, pretending to focus his attention on the mixing bowl.

  “He’s in love with food.” Annette began to pace. “Why is it I can’t have a normal man chasing after me? Why does it have to be a pain in the rump, who rides around on a flaming scooter and stalks me?”

  “Yeah, he’s got your work schedule down. He knows you start working at five-thirty in the morning.”

  “I knew it.” Annette threw her hands in the air. “The man is like a bad rash. No matter how hard I try to get rid of him, he refuses to go away.”

  Millie gave Annette her best mournful look. “Please? If you want, I’ll go with you when you deliver them.”

  Annette sucked in a breath and closed her eyes before responding. “I don’t know. Let me think about it. Cinnamon rolls are easy breezy. I could make them with my eyes closed. What time did you tell him?”

  “Six forty-five tomorrow morning,” Millie said. “In fact, I’ll get up early and come down here to help you. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make homemade cinnamon rolls.”

  “I don’t know how you manage to suck me into some of these things. Be here at five-thirty sharp.”

  “It’s a deal.” Millie grinned.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Sharky had one more request. I wasn’t going to tell you. Now that you’ve agreed to make the cinnamon rolls, I suppose it won’t hurt.”

  “He want Miss Annette to go out on a date,” Amit guessed.

  “Not quite. Sharky’s request involved a sexy negligee.”

  “What in the world?” Annette roared. “Over my dead body!”

  “Yeah, I told him that wasn’t gonna happen.”

  “He’s lucky I’m making the cinnamon rolls.”

  “Yes, he is lucky.” Millie hugged her friend. “I knew I could count on you. I’ll be here at five-thirty. I promise.”

  Annette was still grumbling and Amit was still grinning when Millie exited the galley. She made it to the other end of the ship and up one deck on her way to the Mix and Mingles event when her radio started to blare.

  “Code 30-30 on decks seven and ten forward.”

  Chapter 9